Torsional vibration damper and lock-up clutch for hydrokinetic torque-coupling device, and method for making the same

Abstract

A torsional vibration damper comprises an axially moveable locking piston including a piston plate, a torque input member including a cover plate, a support plate disposed axially opposite the cover plate and a supporting member mounted to both the cover and support plates, and a unitary radially elastic output member pivotable relative to and elastically coupled to the torque input member. The output member is disposed axially between the cover plate and the piston plate. The output member includes an output hub and a curved elastic blade configured to elastically and radially engage the supporting member and to elastically bend in the radial direction upon rotation of the cover plate with respect to the output member. The cover plate at least partially covers an axially first outer surface of the output member. The support plate partially covers an axially second outer surface of the output member.

1 . A hydrokinetic torque-coupling device for coupling a driving shaft and a driven shaft together, comprising:
 a casing rotatable about a rotational axis and having a locking surface;   a torque converter including an impeller wheel rotatable about the rotational axis and a turbine wheel disposed in the casing coaxially with the rotational axis, the turbine wheel disposed axially opposite to the impeller wheel and hydro-dynamically rotationally drivable by the impeller wheel;   a lock-up clutch including a locking piston axially moveable along the rotational axis to and from the locking surface of the casing, the locking piston including a substantially radially oriented piston plate; and   a torsional vibration damper comprising
 a torque input member including a substantially radially oriented cover plate, a support plate disposed axially opposite the cover plate, and at least one supporting member disposed between the cover plate and the support and mounted to both the cover plate and the support plate; and 
 a unitary radially elastic output member pivotable relative to and elastically coupled to the torque input member, the radially elastic output member disposed axially between the cover plate and the support plate; 
 the radially elastic output member including an output hub coaxial with the rotational axis and rotatable relative the torque input member, and at least one curved elastic blade non-moveably connected to the output hub and configured to elastically and radially engage the at least one supporting member and to elastically bend in the radial direction upon rotation of the cover plate with respect to the radially elastic output member; 
 the at least one elastic blade defining a curved raceway configured to bear the at least one supporting member; 
   the locking piston non-rotatably coupled to the cover plate of the torque input member of the torsional vibration damper;   the radially elastic output member being covered from axially opposite sides by the piston plate and the cover plate;   the cover plate at least partially covering an axially first outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the cover plate;   the support plate partially covering an axially second outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the support plate;   the locking piston having an engagement surface configured to selectively frictionally engage the locking surface of the casing to position the hydrokinetic torque-coupling device into and out of a lockup mode in which the locking piston is mechanically frictionally locked to the casing so as to be non-rotatable relative to the casing.   
     
     
         2 . The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the cover plate covers no less than 70% of an area of the axially first outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the cover plate, and wherein the support plate covers no more than 30% of an area of the axially second outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the support plate. 
     
     
         3 . The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the support plate is a rectangular plate or annular plate. 
     
     
         4 . The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the output hub of the radially elastic output member is rotatable relative to the turbine wheel. 
     
     
         5 . The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one supporting member is covered in the axial direction by the piston plate and the cover plate. 
     
     
         6 . The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the impeller wheel includes an impeller shell and the turbine wheel includes a turbine shell disposed axially opposite the impeller shell, and wherein the casing includes the impeller shell and a cover shell non-moveably connected to the impeller shell to establish the casing. 
     
     
         7 . The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the cover shell of the casing has the locking surface. 
     
     
         8 . The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the cover plate is non-rotatably coupled to the turbine wheel. 
     
     
         9 . The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the locking piston further includes a connection member non-moveable relative to the piston plate, and wherein the connection member includes at least one coupling lug non-rotatably coupling the piston plate to the cover plate of the torque input member of the torsional vibration damper. 
     
     
         10 . The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the locking piston is non-rotatably coupled to and axially moveable relative to the torque input member of the torsional vibration damper. 
     
     
         11 . The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the locking piston includes at least one coupling lug axially extending from the locking piston toward the torsional vibration damper, wherein the cover plate includes at least one notch positively engaged by the at least one coupling lug so as to non-rotatably couple the locking piston and the cover plate. 
     
     
         12 . A torsional vibration damper rotatable about a rotational axis and comprising:
 a locking piston axially moveable along the rotational axis and including a substantially radially oriented piston plate;   a torque input member including a substantially radially oriented cover plate, a support plate disposed axially opposite the cover plate, and at least one supporting member disposed between the cover plate and the support and mounted to both the cover plate and the support plate; and   a unitary radially elastic output member pivotable relative to and elastically coupled to the torque input member, the radially elastic output member disposed axially between the cover plate and the support plate;   the radially elastic output member including an output hub coaxial with the rotational axis and rotatable relative the torque input member, and at least one curved elastic blade non-moveably connected to the output hub and configured to elastically and radially engage the at least one supporting member and to elastically bend in the radial direction upon rotation of the cover plate with respect to the radially elastic output member;   the at least one curved elastic blade defining a curved raceway configured to bear the at least one supporting member;   the locking piston non-rotatably coupled to the cover plate of the torque input member;   the radially elastic output member being covered from axially opposite sides by the piston plate and the cover plate;   the cover plate at least partially covering an axially first outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the cover plate;   the support plate partially covering an axially second outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the support plate.   
     
     
         13 . The torsional vibration damper as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the cover plate covers no less than 70% of an area of the axially first outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the cover plate, and wherein the support plate covers no more than 30% of an area of the axially second outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the support plate. 
     
     
         14 . The torsional vibration damper as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one supporting member includes a support pin extending axially from the cover plate toward the piston plate, and an annular rolling body coaxially mounted on the at least one support pin for rotation around a central axis thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The torsional vibration damper as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the support plate is a rectangular plate or an annular plate. 
     
     
         16 . The torsional vibration damper as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one supporting member includes a support pin and an annular rolling body coaxially mounted on the at least one support pin for rotation around a central axis thereof, and wherein the support pin extends axially between the cover plate and the support plate. 
     
     
         17 . The torsional vibration damper as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the radially elastic output member, including the output hub and the at least one elastic blade, is a single-piece part. 
     
     
         18 . The torsional vibration damper as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one supporting member is covered in the axial direction only by the piston plate and the cover plate. 
     
     
         19 . The torsional vibration damper as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the locking piston further includes a connection member non-moveable relative to the piston plate, and wherein the connection member includes at least one coupling lug non-rotatably coupling the piston plate to the cover plate of the torque input member of the torsional vibration damper. 
     
     
         20 . The torsional vibration damper as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the locking piston is non-rotatably coupled to and axially moveable relative to the torque input member of the torsional vibration damper. 
     
     
         21 . The torsional vibration damper as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the locking piston includes at least one coupling lug axially extending from the locking piston toward the torsional vibration damper, wherein the cover plate includes at least one notch positively engaged by the at least one coupling lug so as to non-rotatably couple the locking piston and the cover plate. 
     
     
         22 . A method for assembling a torsional vibration damper of a hydrokinetic torque-coupling device for coupling a driving shaft and a driven shaft together, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a piston plate, a cover plate, a support plate and at least one supporting member;   providing a unitary radially elastic output member including an output hub and at least one curved elastic blade non-moveably connected to the output hub and configured to elastically and radially engage the at least one supporting member and to elastically bend in the radial direction;   mounting the at least one supporting member to the cover plate;   placing the unitary radially elastic member axially between the cover plate and the piston plate so that the at least one elastic blade elastically and radially engages the at least one supporting member;   mounting the support plate to the cover plate so that the at least one supporting member is disposed between the cover plate and the support plate; and   non-rotatably mounting the piston plate to the cover plate so that the radially elastic output member being covered from axially opposite sides only by the piston plate and the cover plate;   the cover plate at least partially covering an axially first outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the cover plate;   the support plate partially covering an axially second outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the support plate.